Happy new year!

Or Not...

Last night, I discovered that I really don't have many good reasons to be staying up till all hours of the night, waiting for the clock to strike 12. I mean, what is the point of celebrating the new year, if it is going to come anyway? And why should everyone make a point of staying up to see this "momentous occasion" in?

I was questioning the reasoning last night, as I was trying desperately to stay awake to wait for the clock to strike 12... For someone who REALLY likes their sleep, it just seems like a stupid idea. Up till about 10.30 last night, I had fun. Three of us went to the top of a koppie, to watch the lunar eclipse and take photos, and look at the stars. It was really nice, until I started getting more and more sleepy, but the rock was far too uncomfortable to sleep on. And my companions wouldn't allow me to go back to the house to go to bed (nasty people - they managed to find comfy places and fell asleep on the rock).

I also don't really understand the significance of waiting to see the new year in. For some, it might be an opportunity to imbibe in the bubbly, or any other alcoholic beverages, get horribly wasted and spend the following day feeling like they've been run over by a tractor, munched on by a crocodile, and spat out. I do know this feeling - last year I went to a new year's party, and we were playing drinking games. I'm bad at drinking games. I felt like a tractor ran over me and a crocodile chewed me up and spat me out the next day.

Or, maybe it is so that people can be "the first" to wish others a happy new year. Also, I don't really understand the significance of this, since a lot of the time, when you wish someone a "Merry Christmas", you tend to wish them a "Happy New Year" too...

Two years ago, I was invited to the 'berg to celebrate new years. I had a whale of a time, and on new years eve, I walked about 20kms, just because they were there and I wanted to go and explore. I had a fabulous day, and we had a lovely meal to top the day. Then I got tired, went to bed, even though all the others were celebrating. It was great for me, although the trip organiser wasn't too pleased with me... The next day, I got up early again, and went walking...

So, last night, I reached a conclusion that I wont stay up to celebrate new years, unless it is exceptional circumstances (like I really need a massive party night - doesn't happen terribly often), or I'm with exceptional people, ones that I stay up with chatting until all hours of the morning anyway. And, thus, for the next new years', I will try and get myself to a remote corner of the 'berg, or actually anywhere where the population density is quite low, and celebrate the new year in my own style.

And that is my only new years' resolution!

Happy new year!

Utter confusion reigns

I wrote an entry a while ago, On etiquette. In it, I described the worst type of unreliable character one could ever hope to meet... Well, my 'friendship' with said character (lets call him... Ernest, shall we...?) has sort of continued since then. I am sure of neither his intentions, nor his feelings with regard to me, and thus, felt the need to blog about it.

Since the etiquette post, I saw Ernest at an event that I invited him to, my birthday party, my field work (vegetation sampling), and then he invited me to help him with an adventure activity. Since then, I have invited him to help me with trapping, along with several others (I need quite a bit of help!), and he invited me to go to church. Oh and to help on a weekend camp...

Firstly, vegetation sampling with him (and my mom) was really good, if a little slower than I'm used to. I enjoyed his company, and it made for an interesting morning. That day, he asked if I would like to help him with his adventure activity thing, a few days later. I agreed, because it would be fun, and also because I haven't really taken the day off completely for a very long time. That day, I discovered he was quite a passionate christian. No problemo, except for the fact that I'm not exactly the epitome of one... In fact, if you met me, you probably would not guess my religious affiliation... This was all good and well, until it came up that I had glandular fever (aka "kissing disease").

[I think this is highly unfair name - common colds and flu are spread in exactly the same way, but they are not called 'kissing illness"...]

And despite the fact that I didn't get it from kissing anyone, I was proclaimed to be a "promiscuous kisser"... YES! UNFAIR! (I was imagining may flocks of turtles in my mind right then...)

Anyway, I sent out an email with regard to my trapping this coming week, and, it took Ernest till today to let me know in all definiteness! When I texted him yesterday afternoon, with a friendly message, he said that he was going for a ride with his sister. And replied to me at 1am! Seriously, WTF? Then, today (I mean, this afternoon), he says that he cant come trapping, because of his hectic week, with his sister leaving and all, and then proceeded to ask me if I wanted to go to church with him. So I agreed, and left it at that. I was on my way back from the south, when he phoned me... And it turned out he could make church tonight, but wanted to clarify that he maybe could come trapping on Tuesday? He then proceeded to confirm about Tuesday, and ask me if I would help him on a camp coming up...

I am so super confused about this oke! He has offered a few times to watch mouse videos (of all things) with me, can be super-attentive when I'm with him, but then doesn't contact me? Or does he actually like me? What on earth?

Helen, please please please don't say "I told you so"!

Of teaspoons and soapboxes

I have had quite a few things on my mind this past week. Amongst other things, I am getting my first laptop (YAY!), my parents and grandparents had a holiday, a Halloween dress-up is coming, nothing is happening with my project (a bad thing). So, instead, I have been thinking about the ills of the world. And teaspoons.

A while ago in one of our lab meetings, we discussed an awesome paper that was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) about disappearing teaspoons. The authors did a neat little study on teaspoons in tearooms. They had a few interesting findings, one of which really surprised me: The rate of disappearance of higher quality spoons was not significantly higher than that of lower quality spoons... Anyway, what I have gotten around to thinking about, is that there must be some kind of teaspoon heaven (also mentioned in the paper, as a possibly place to go for unlimited spoons). Seriously. Teaspoons must be going somewhere, and surely the would have reached a saturation point by now, if teaspoons are still being manufactured! So: Is there a teaspoon heaven?

And now for the second: The soapbox. I live in South Africa, almost a new country. We have recently become a democracy, and our past is shrouded in racism. One would think, in the normal progression of things that people who have previously been oppressed would get a sense of entitlement, and this is generally the case. Fair enough. But it appears not to be limited to one race. Everyone (ok ok, a lot of people) has this attitude!

If everyone has the same sense of entitlement, the same attitude of "I'll take everything you can give me and more", where does this leave us? Less than what we started with. If no-one can be accommodating, and maybe even giving (instead of taking), the world (or SA), or even my university community might be a happier place?

One example I have thought about is littering. I've posted on the subject before, and now might have some insight into why people do it. Its rather complicated, but with my theory of entitlement, might just make sense. Maybe people litter because if someone else has to pick up their rubbish, they will be higher up in the proverbial food chain than the cleaner. So, although I don't throw down my sweet wrappers, pens and other general rubbish, I have made a resolution:

To pick up just a few pieces of litter a day.

It wont be much, and I'm not going to make much of a difference, but still. Its something. How else do you challenge and change the attitudes and mindsets of those around you?

On etiquette!

First thoughts: what a weird looking word. Second thoughts: What a loaded word...

I had a dinner party over the weekend, because I had my house all to myself, and also because even though I enjoy hosting events like these, I hadn't had one in about a year. So I emailed out invites with two weeks to go to my chosen date-of-party, to see who would be keen... I had most of my responses that week, and subsequently sent out a follow up email with important details (such as my house address) to those who had said they were coming. With two days to go to the dinner, a few people still hadn't replied!

Bad etiquette #1: Not RSVP-ing. Or RSVP-ing after the set date. This is generally for catering purposes (usually important if you would like to get fed). It really doesn't bother me if parties aren't your thing! Rather just tell me if you will be coming or not - I don't really give a hoot for your reasons! So I managed to get answers put of most of the people, after cornering them, and looking angry.

So I made food happily (I like cooking), one more guest was added to the guest list (which was fine, she had a legit excuse to change her RSVP), and I got more and more rushed as the day of the dinner wore on.

Good etiquette #1: Helping the hostess. Well, in my books anyway! This comes into the fact that I was running late, and being a bad hostess. All of the people who arrived early chipped in with help, and made my life just that little bit easier. (Even though I continued to be a bad hostess later on that evening when I had to finish making the pudding...)

The guests were asked to arrive at 7pm. Most of the had arrived by 7.20pm. By 7.45, one guest had not made his appearance. So I sms'ed him, asking if he was on his way...

REALLY Bad etiquette #2: RSVP-ing positively, then not pitching. With a really bad excuse. He was at a concert, which had been delayed due to rain. So instead of letting me know early, he waited for ME to contact HIM to tell me that he probably wouldn't be coming through. Like, Seriously??

All in all, the dinner was fun.

Good etiquette #2: Generally being sociable. It makes life so much easier if you are the hostess!

My guests excused my disorganisation, and some even wanted to help me clean up afterwards! I learnt a new good etiquette rule too:

Good etiquette #3: Bringing the host/hostess a gift (doesn't have to be anything big!), to thank them for the party. It really made me feel hugely appreciated, so thanks to those guests that did!

This brings me to my last note on etiquette:

Bad etiquette #3: Not RSVP-ing 'till after the event. Or not RSVP-ing at all! Seriously. How hard it is to type out a few words on an email?

I suppose you can't be too uptight about people not having the perfect etiquette, but I don't think it's ok to be downright rude to the person who invited you... Thoughts?

Diving weekend, and The Perfume Lab!

After a seemingly crazy week last week (which ended up being absolutely marvellous), I had a weekend to match. It was marvellous, of course!

I'm doing my 2*(or advanced) diving course, and this weekend was the weekend to catch up on dives, do some of the specific dives that I need to qualify, and generally relax. I have returned home failing on the last - I have such sore tummy muscles! (Diving must be good for me then)... Overall it was a really good weekend, the diving was good, even though Miracle waters was rather murky. We managed to find the helicopter though :)

A big part of my day today was the event of The Perfume Lab. Luke and I were models for the lab, in which students had to say whether perfume was male or female. The trick was that there was a third perfume, unisex! Because the students couldn't know the gender of the model, they had to be blindfolded. The second part of it was that both Luke and I had to shave our arms, to match each other. This was the cause of much hilarity for the visitors to our lab... and interestingly enough, I was less keen than Luke to shave my arms (I've never done it before, ok!)... The lab itself was funny - it hard not to giggle when students guess the gender of the perfume completely wrong, or they knock over the beaker of water or do anything else which in any other situation would not be regarded as funny...

The only thing now is that, although I have scrubbed my arms about 6 times, I can still smell all three perfumes (the unisex smells like a granny-smell)... and as such, its a little confusing for my poor ole nose!

Here's to not smelling confused!

It's spring!

Every year I used to anxiously wait for Spring to arrive. I would watch the trees for buds, and wander around the garden, inspecting the plants for any signs of growth. When Spring finally sprung, I would revel in the beauty of the flowers, the warmth, the lengthening days and the smell of flowers that would permeate our garden and our home. Even last year, I took spent some time in my garden, looking at the blooms.

This year was somehow different. I feel like I have missed spring! It is almost like I woke up last week to find a beautiful garden already full of flowers, and it feels like summer... And I'm left standing, and wondering "Where'd it go"? In all honesty, I was probably too busy a) with my project and b) being depressed that I just never noticed! Sad times.

I got home early this afternoon, and while I did spend most of it collapsed on my bed, reading (and finishing) Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (absolutely brilliant!), I did spend about 45 mins before and after sunset (incidentally my favourite time of day) in the garden. It really was lovely! Here are some pictures that I took a few years ago, of some of the flowers in my garden.

My new favourite word ...

... is "snaffle"!

It's an informal verb, and means "to illicitly take for oneself". I have a very food-orientated Labrador, and this word describes his actions very clearly...